The annual fall harvesting of sea salt at the Cargill and Morton facilities in Newark has begun.

Commercial salt production in the Bay Area began shortly after the 1849 Gold Rush, about 1854, said Cargill spokeswoman Jill Singleton. At its Newark plant, Cargill produces 500,000 tons of sea salt annually, Singleton said.

Leslie Salt, which was purchased by Cargill in 1978, invented the mechanical harvester for salt, she said.